Buy egift cards to Walmart, Home Depot, Target and More

I have received questions about when I am going to post the list of gift cards sold at Safeway, like I have done for other grocery stores (see Where to Buy Gift Cards section). I have finally been able to put the list together, and it is a rather long one. See below. (Updated 10/27/2011)

12 Comments

Mike

William

I bought a 100$ Macys gift card for my brothers wedding 3/20/2009 from Safeway. It would not work at Macys. I took it back to the Safeway I bought it from with the receipt. I was told I had had to call the Customer Service Number on the receipt. They asked me to have the Store Customer Service fax them the receipt. I faxed them the receipt and they would call me when they had checked into it. They did not call me. I called them and they gave me the excuse that they were still working on problems from the holidays! They again said they would call. Again they did not. I called again. This time I spoke with some who felt remorse for the treatment I have received and was told the investigation into the card was completed 5/2/2009 and they would be calling me. They still have not called. They last time I was in Safeway they had put up signs saying that all sales on gift cards are final and not exchanges. There is something fishy going on here. I’m telling people to not buy gift cards at Safeway.

Mary

BEWARE! I purchased a $100 American Express at Pavillion’s for my nephew’s graduation in May 2009. It did not work. The store told me to call a customer service number that kept disconnecting me. After 1 1/2 hours of calling various numbers I was given, I reached someone who told me it will be a couple of weeks while they “research” the issue. It sounds like the activation of cards purchased happens quite often. This was embarrassing for me, giving my nephew a card that did not work, and embarrassing for him trying to pay with a card that did not work.

Lisa

I agree that something fishy is going on here and that Safeway may be stealing money from its customers. My husband and I received not one but two $100 Macys gift cards purchased at Safeway for our wedding in April and neither one of them worked at the store! What are the chances of that? I cannot begin to express how embarrassed I was when I tried to make a purchase with these cards and was denied because the cards had never been activated! When we went to Safeway to get this resolved the customer service agent on location told us to call customer service, but they were closed over the weekend and so now I have to make time to call sometime today. What a hassle! Please please do not buy gift cards at Safeway. Chances are the recipient will not get to make use of the gift and you will be throwing away your money.

Unhappy Ex-Macy's Customer

I received a Macy’s gift card purchased from Safeway. It was never activated, as I found out as I was trying to purchase apparel at Macy’s. The customer service at Macy’s is LOUSY at best. After hours of phone calls and several weeks later, I still do not have a valid gift card. I had emailed the gift receipt, gift card and gift card covering as requested. Upon emailing all requested info to a supervisor at Macys, I received a follow up call stating a new gift card was being mailed to me and I would receive it within two weeks, if not earlier. 2 1/2 weeks later and an hour and a half longer in phone calls to Macy’s customer service, I still do not have an activated gift card. I was informed by a total of five call center agents that I need to speak to the store it was purchased from to resolve the matter. I was finally able to speak to another supervisor who said this is an ongoing problem with Macy’s gift cards as the wrong card was deposited in the wrong cover. It’s been going on since at least early this year. Therefore, I need to wait. Macy’s is only able to process a certain number of replacement gift cards per month pertaining to this problem, therefore I was unable to receive mine in a timely manner. Unhappy ex-Macy’s customer.

April

I think that most of the problems are not caused by Safeway or Vons, but actually customers who have written down the numbers from the back of the gift card and have been waiting for someone to activate it. When you activate the card, they can spend all the money from it online. Cards that have the scratch-off areas in the back should be safe, because they shouldn’t have access to the number. Also, if you want to purchase a gift card, don’t grab the one in the front; it is the one most likely to have been recorded by a thief.

renee

Beware! Safeway sells gift cards for stores that are not in that stores area. I was visiting Roseville CA and bought Applebee’s and AMC cards. Applebees has closed down in Roseville and there are no AMC theaters in Roseville. Nice. I am out $50 and still need to replace the cards. I will not buys cards at Safeway again!!

Claire

I had a similar problem with $100 Macys gift card I purchased from San Mateo, CA Safeway. It had zero balance when I tried to use it at Macys so I took it back to Safeway and they said they will investigate but never got back to me. Now I am out $100. There seems to be no way to get my money back!

Stan

I bought a $100 Target gift card. The recipient just informed me that there’s no $$$ on the card. Luckily, I saved the receipt. Hopefully, I am not going to experience what many folks have here. Wish me luck.